ASF spreads to 2 Aklan towns

MANILA, Philippines — Farmers’ groups expressed alarm yesterday as African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks were recorded in two towns in Aklan, bringing to 56 the provinces affected by the swine disease.

The provincial veterinarian and provincial agriculturist offices in Aklan confirmed that ASF cases were recorded in Balete and Banga.

This means only 19 provinces are now ASF-free. These are Batanes, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon, Masbate, Antique, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Biliran, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Jayson Cainglet, executive director of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, said the spread of ASF would not stop until the government establishes first border quarantine inspection facilities.

“It is unfortunate that local hog raisers have to fend for themselves while importers continue to get preferential treatment from the Department of Agriculture and our economic managers,” Cainglet said.

“Funds were earmarked for the construction of our first border inspection facilities since 2019. There is obviously a resistance within the DA to construct such facilities,” he added.

Cainglet said local producers bear the cost of increased biosecurity at the farm level, but there is no quarantine inspection of imported pork.

“Worse, there is no more indemnification for local hog raisers affected by ASF. That is why there is reluctance on the part of hog raisers to report ASF cases,” he said.

Philippine Pork Producers Federation president Nonon Tambago said the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) should admit that it failed to contain the spread of ASF.

“That only means that the ASF control protocol being implemented is not effective. They said it’s an internationally accepted protocol... That is only applicable if the Philippines has enough resources for an effective implementation,” Tambago said in a text message to The STAR.

He said the BAI should consider other options while the ASF vaccine is not yet available.